Egg carton



Jan. 16, 1962 A. BRAUNSTEIN EGG CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed DeC. 7, 1960 Jan. 16, 1962 A, BRAUNsTElN 3,017,066

EGG CARTON Filed Dec. 7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l BY f.

ATTORNEY INVENTOR United tates Patent 3,017,066 EGG CARTON Aron rannstein, Route 1, Box '78, Brownsville, Tex. Filed Dec. 7, i960, Ser. No. 74,418 (Iiairns. (Cl. 229-28) This invention relates to a novel carton or container `for eggs and more particularly to a carton of extremely simple construction which may be very economically manufactured yet which will be durable and etlicient for its intended purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide an egg carton including interior parts which may be fabricated from a less expensive grade of cardboard than the exterior parts of the carton.

Another object of the invention is to provide van egg carton which may be partially assembled for shipment and storage in a substantially flat condition and the complete assembly or erection of which may be completed without the use of machinery land by merely adhesively attaching two of the parts thereof to a third part.

Still a `further object of the invention is to provide an egg carton having novel means for providing a cushioned and elevated support for the eggs.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide Ian egg carton wherein certain of the parts of the assembled carton function in a unique manner to prevent collapsing of the carton and resulting damage to its contents.

Various Aother objects and `advantage-.s of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereofJ and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the assembled carton shown in an open position and with the cover broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view Itaken through` the egg carton as it would appear closed and sealed, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3 3 of FTGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view, on an enlarged scale, looking toward a front corner of the egg carton and with the cover in an open position;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevational View of one part of the egg carton;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of another part of the egg carton, and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the egg carton closed and sealed, and on a reduced scale.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the egg carton in its entirety is designated generally 8 and includes a front wall 9, a rear wall it?, a bottom 11, a top wall or cover 12 and a flap 13 for said cover or top wall 12. The parts 9 to 13, inclusive, are formed from one single elongated strip of cardboard, designated generally C; the front wall 9 and the flap 13 constituting the ends thereof.

The bottom 11 is provided with two longitudinally extending depending folds 14, and 16 having substantially coplanar bottom edges and each composed of two plies. The intermediate fold 14 is disposed substantially midway between the two outer yfolds 15 and 16. Each of the depending folds 15 and 16 includes an inner ply 17 and lan outer ply 13, which plies are secured adhesively together by -a suitable adhesive 19. The outer ply 18 of the front fold 15 constitutes a depending extension of the front wall 9 and the outer ply 1S of the rear fold 16 constitutes a depending extension of the rear wall 10.

A longitudinal partition wall or divider 20 has a bottom edge portion 21 which is disposed in the intermediate fold 14 and which is adhesively secured, as seen at 22 (FIGURE 3), to the inner sides of `both plies 23 thereof.

As illustrated in FIGURES 2 `and 5, the partition or divider 20 is provided with five transversely disposed longitudinally spaced elongated openings or slots 24 which terminate between and spaced from the upper edge 25 and the bottom edge 26 thereof, so that the slots 24 are closed except for slits 27. A slit 27 extends diagonally downward'froin the lower end of each slot 24 through the bottom edge 26, so that a transverse partition 28 can be engaged with each slot 24 through its slit 27. Each partition 28 (FIGURE 6) has an upwardly opening notch 29 intermediate of its ends which straddles a part of the divider 20 located above the slot 24, through which said partition engages, and the part of the partition 28, located between the bottom of the notch 29 and its bottom edge 3G, is of a width to iit within the slot 24 and is no greater than the length of said slot. It will be understood that the transverse partitions or dividers 23 are applied to the longitudinal divider 20 before said longitudinal divider is secured in the fold 14. Seeurement of the bottom portion 21 between the plies 23 of the fold 14, as previously described, seals the lower ends of the slits 27 for locking the transverse dividers 2S to the longitudinal divider 20. The dividers 28 have flaps 31 at the ends thereof vwhich `are folded along fold lines 32 in opposite directions. The portion of each transverse divider 2S between its fold lines 32 is of a length slightly less than the spacing between the front wall 9 and rear wall 1d and one of the flaps 31 bears against the inner side of said front wall while the other flap 31 of each transverse divider 28 bears against the rear wall, as best seen `in FIGURE l.

Both ends of the longitudinal divider Ztl are provided adjacent the upper edge 25 with extensions which project downwardly as well as longitudinally to form hooks 33 each of which has a downwardly opening notch 34. The divider 2t) is shown as formed of two plies 35 and 36 having overlapping portions secured together as by means of adhesive 37 and in which the openings 24 are formed. The outer end portion of each ply has a hook 33. However, it will be understood `that the longitudinal divider 20 may be of one piece and one ply construction.

The cardboard piece C is of substantially uniform width except that the portions thereof forming the front wall 9 and rear wall 10 are made somewhat Wider to provide end liaps 38 `and 39, respectively, which are turned inwardly. The carton 8 includes corresponding end wallsy 40 and 41 each of which is adhesively secured by an adhesive 42 to coplan-ar end aps 38 and 39, as seen in FIG- URE 4. Each end wall 40 and 41 has: an upwardly opening notch intermediate of its ends, as seen at 43, which interfits with the downwardly opening notch 34 of the adjacent end hook 33 for attaching the longitudinal divider 20 to said end Walls 46 and 41, and which is accoinplished before the end walls are each sealed t0 both aps.

The assembled carton as seen in FIGURE 1, is divided by the partition wall Ztl and partition walls 28 into twelve corresponding compartments or cells 44, each of which is adapted to contain an egg 45. The transverse partitions 23 are held in their positions of FIGURE l by the eggs 45.

The portion of the bottom 11, constituting the bottom of each cell or compartment 44, is provided with an egg holder or seat 45, formed by a series of cross cuts 47 which form segment shaped aps 43 which are adapted to be pressed downwardly by the eggs 45, as seen in FIGURE 3, for cushioning the eggs within the carton 3 and with the bottoms of the eggs and the bottom ends of said flaps 48 disposed above the plane of the bottom edges of the folds 14, 15 and 16. Thus, said folds 14, 15 and 16 from supporting ribs which extend from end-to-end of the carton and which support the bottom 11 in an elevated position, in combination with the end walls 40 and 41.

The cover 12 has a perforated fold line 49 about which it hinges relative to the rear wall 1 0 and a perforated fold line 50 about which the flap 13 hinges relative to the cover 12.. The cover also has a perforated medial line 51 which, together with the folds 49 and 50, extend from end-to-end of said cover. The cover has transverse perforation lines 52 which are disposed substantially directly over the transverse partitions 28 and which divide the cover into twelve sections each having an opening 53. The openings 53 constitute viewing openings for the cells 44 and additionally form ngerholds by which the sections 54 of the cover 12 can be detached from the cover for removing as many eggs as desired from the carton 8 and while retaining the other eggs secured therein. The cover 12 is preferably secured to the front Wall 9 `by a strip of sealing tape 55.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that engagement of the hooks 33 with the end walls: 40 and 41 will enable the longitudinal divider to be supported by said end walls 40 and d1 and to in turn support the bottom 11 to prevent collapsing of the carton downwardly, since said bottom is provided with longitudinal fold lines 56 between said bottom and the plies 23 and fold lines 57, between said bottom yand the inner plies 17, so that without the aforementioned support afforded by `the divider 20, the bottom 11 could collapse downwardly.

It will be readily apparent that the dividers Z0 and Z8 can be made of a less expensive cardboard than the piece C to reduce the `cost of constructing the carton 8. The carton is completely assembled at the point of manufacture except that the ends 40 and 41 are each secured only to one flap 38 or 39. The dividers 23 have a sutliciently loose iitting engagement in the openings 24, so that said dividers can be disposed lengthwise ot the divider 20. Aucordingly, by collapsing the bottom 11 upwardly, the front wall 9 and rear wall `10 can be displaced toward one another so that the carton as thus collapsed can be substantially at for shipping and storing. No machine operation is necessary to erect or `assemble the carton, as it is only necessary to displace the bottom 11 downwardly and engage the hooks 33 with the notches 43, after which each end wall is sealed to its other ilap 38 or 39 to thus complete the assembly of the carton ready for use.

Various modications `and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, Without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter dened by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. An egg carton including a front wall, a back wall, a bottom, end walls, a longitudinal divider, and a plurality of transverse dividers, said bottom being connected to and extending between the lfront and rear walls and being upwardly olset relative to the bottom edges of said front and rear walls, said longitudinal divider being connected to and extending upwardly from the bottom, said transverse dividers being conected to and supported solely by said longitudinal divider between said front and rear walls and above and spaced from said bottom, said end walls being connected to the ends of said front and rear walls and being disposed beyond the ends of the bottom, and interengaging means connecting said longitudinal divider to said end walls for supporting the longitudinal divider, transverse dividers and said bottom on said end walls.

2. An egg carton as in claim 1, said bottom having depending fold portions forming a front rib, a rear rib and a medial rib, said ribs `extending longitudinally of the bottom and providing additional bottom supports, said longitudinal divider having a bottom portion disposed in and secured to said medial rib for connecting the bottom to said longitudinal divider.

3. An egg carton as in claim 2, said longitudinal divider having openings and slits, said slits opening outwardly of the bottom edge of the longitudinal divider and communicating with said openings for receiving and positioning portions of thetransverse dividers in said openings for connecting the transverse dividers to the longitudinal divider, and said slits being closed and sealed by securement of the bottom edge portion of the longitudinal di vider in said medial rib for non-detachably securing the transverse dividers to the longitudinal divider.

4. An egg carton as in claim 1, said front wall, rear Wall and bottom being integrally connected to one another, and said dividers and end walls constituting separable interconnected parts.

5. An egg carton as in claim 1, said interengaging means comp-rising downwardly opening hooks at the ends of said longitudinal divider and upwardly lopening notches formed in said end walls and in `which said hooks are received and anchored.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 418,107 Brooks Dec. 24, 1889V 601,449 Schmidt Mar. 29, 1898 1,086,894 Cooley Feb. 10, 1914 1,957,755 Bourque May 8, 1934 1,975,106 Klefeker Oct. 2, 1934 2,138,019 Benoit Nov. 29, 1938 

